VA-172 (U.S. Navy)

Attack Squadron 172

VA-172 squadron patch
Active 20 August 1945-15 January 1971
Country United States
Branch United States Navy
Role Attack aircraft
Part of Inactive
Nickname(s) Checkmates
Blue Bolts
Engagements Korean War
Vietnam War
Aircraft flown
Attack F6F Hellcat
F4U Corsair
F8F Bearcat
FH-1 Phantom
F2H Banshee
A-4 Skyhawk
VF-172 F2Hs over USS Essex c.1951
VA-172 A-4C fully armed with bombs on the flight deck of the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt off Vietnam, 1966. Note the blue lightning bolt painted on both aircraft.

VA-172 was an Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy. It was established as Bomber Fighter Squadron VBF-82 on 20 August 1945, redesignated as Fighter Squadron VF-18A on 15 November 1946, as VF-172 on 11 August 1948, and as VA-172 on 1 November 1955. The squadron was disestablished on 15 January 1971. Its nickname was the Checkmates from 1946-1950, and the Blue Bolts thereafter.[1]

Operational history

Home port assignments

The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:[1]

Aircraft Assignment

The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:[1]

See also

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.

  1. 1 2 3 4 Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Volume 1, Chapter 2, Section 9: Attack Squadron Histories for VA-154 to VA-174 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. pp. 242–245. Retrieved 2014-02-20.

External links

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